When I think about what’s under my kitchen sink—something I don’t do often, mind you—the image that appears is that of Mr. Yuk.
Many kids who grew up in the '70s, '80s, and '90s will remember the grimacing fluorescent-green sticker face that parents plastered on any and all suspicious cleaning supplies—a warning to stay away from the danger in that unfamiliar bottle. Mr. Yuk was a strategy to deter toddlers from ingesting toxic chemicals.
The problem with Mr. Yuk, I’ve realized as a grown-up, is that he doesn’t protect against the toxic chemicals that sneakily make up the composition of our everyday kitchen supplies. Our pots and pans. Our plastic ware. Our antibacterial soap.
Click through to learn about the chemicals that are in some of your most commonly used kitchen items—they are pretty yucky.